Freezing tray and ice storage arrangement for refrigerators



wgd il Jan. 10, 1961 A. v. MELIKIAN 2,967,407

FREEZING TRAY AND WE STORAGE ARRANGEMENT FOR REFRIGERATORS Filed March 2, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ALBERT v. MELHMAN BY W H l5 ATTORNEY Jan. 10, 1961 v, MELlKlAN 2,967,407

FREEZING TRAY AND ICE STORAGE ARRANGEMENT FOR REFRIGERATORS Filed March 2, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fl 6. z 8 1 F INVENTOR ALBERT V. MELI KIAN H s ATTORNEY er slidably arranged therein.

United States Patent FREEZING TRAY AND ICE STORAGE ARRANGE- MENT FOR REF RIGERATORS Albert V. Melikiau, Louisville, Ky., asslgnor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 796,589

1 Claim. (Cl. 62-344) The present invention relates to household refrigerators and is more particularly concerned with a freezing tray and storage container arrangement slidably supported within a refrigerator storage compartment.

In the usual household refrigerator, means are generally provided for supporting one or more freezing trays within the freezer compartment. In the case of undercounter freezers and refrigerator-freezer combinations having a freezer compartment below counter-level, a preferred position for the freezing trays from the standpoint of freedom from contamination is adjacent the top of the compartment above the remaining contents of the compartment. A stationary shelf arrangement suitable for this purpose is described and shown in Patent 2,843,441, Jewell, issued July 15, 1958, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. However, because of the position of such a shelf, access to the ice blocks in the trays or other receptacles stored thereon cannot be obtained without removal from the compartment. Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved, low cost arrangement for freezing and storing ice blocks in such a freezer compartment by means of which access to the stored blocks can easily be obtained.

Another object of the invention is to provide a convenient ice supply means including a sliding shelf arrangement disposed adjacent the top of a freezer compartment and including improved means for supporting both a portable ice block receptacle and one or more freezing trays in such a manner that ice blocks can be harvested into the receptacle and the freezing tray refilled with water without removing either from their respective positions on the shelf.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator including a freezer compartment, a storage drawer within the freezer compartment and a combined freezing and ice storage means slidably arranged within the upper part of the freezer compartment and adapted to be partially supported by the drawer when 7 moved to an accessible position with the drawer open.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claim annexed to and forming a part of this specificatron.

In carying out the objects of the present invention, there is provided a freezer compartment including a draw- Disposed above the store age portion of the drawer and adjacent the top of the compartment, there is provided a sliding shelf including means for supporting an ice storage receptacle and at least one freezing tray in such a manner that ice blocks can be harvested from the tray into the receptacle and the tray filled with water without removal thereof from the shelf. For this purpose, the tray is pivotally supported on the shelf in such a position relative to the re- Patented Jan, 10, 19 61 Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational View showing certain construction details of the invention, the shelf being shown in its extended position;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view illustrating the operational features of a tray suitable for use in the practice of the present invention. I

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, there is shown a. counter-height cabinet including an inner liner 1 forming a freezer compartment 2 for the storage of frozen foodstuffs. under-counter freezer, it is to be understood that it, could also comprise the lower part of a comination refrigeratorfreezer. counter level, access to the contents thereof can be more readily obtained when stored in a drawer generally indicated by the numeral 3 rather than on stationary shelves positioned within the compartment 2. The compartment 2 is maintained at desired storage temperatures by means of an evaporator 4 that may be arranged as shown along the lower and rear walls of the compartment. The evaporator 4 forms part of a refrigerating system including a motor compressor unit 7 and a condenser (not shown).

The access opening to the storage compartment 2 is closed by a closure member in the form of the drawer.

front 8 and the space between the drawer front 8 and the face of the cabinet is sealed by means of a gasket 5 extending around the peripheral edge of the drawer front 8.

The drawer front 8 is part of a drawer assembly such as that more fully described and claimed in the aforementioned Jewell Patent 2,843,441. sembly as illustrated includes a pair of spaced slides (not shown) connected together by front and rear cross members 10 to form an open cradle or framework for supporting a removable storage pan 11. 'The drawer front 8 is suitably secured to the forward end of the framework and the drawer structure 3 is slidably supported within the compartment 2 on drawer supports 13 secured to the opposite side walls 12.

For most efficient usage, it is of course desirable that the depth of a storge drawer or bin, such as the bin 11,

be kept within certain limits depending upon the material to be stored therein. In order to do this in a relatively high compartment such as that shown in the drawtherewith when the drawer is opened or closed. For access to. the lower pan 11 when the drawer is in its-open position, this upper pan or bin 17 can be moved separately back into the storage compartment 2 thus exposing the contents of the lower pan 11. To accomplish this result, the upper pan 17 is provided with a'pair. of rollers 18 which normally ride on the upper surface of the supports 13 and the forward end of the pan is supported on the slides 9 by means of a pair of legs 19. Means for anchoring or indexing the upper pan 17 relative to the slides 9 are provided in the form of indentations (not shown) provided in the upper surface of the slides forming part of the framework, which are adapted to receive the feet or pads 21 provided on the legs 19.

While this compartment is shown in an As it is below what may be termed normal' This drawer as When the drawer is moved to its open position, the feet 21 resting in the indentations cause the pan 17 to move forwardly with the remainder of the drawer as sembly thus exposing the contents of the upper pan. If access is desired to the lower pan, it is necessary merely to lift or move the forward edge of the pan 17 to a position in which the feet clear the indentations whereby the upper pan can be slid rearwardly in a manner more fully described in the aforementioned Jewell patent.

In accordance with the present invention, the stationary shelf provided in the freezer compartment shown in the Jewell patent for the storage of freezing trays is replaced with a movable shelf structure including means for receiving an ice receptacle and designed to be supported in part by the drawer assembly in both the recessed and the open or access positions. As illustrated in the accompanying drawing, this shelf 24 is slidably supported at its rear end on a pair of supports or guides 25 while the forward end of the shelf 24 is provided with a pair of legs 26 having pads 27 which ride on the drawer structure at all times and which may engage indentations 28 in the upper edge of the pan 17 in much the same manner that pads 21 of the pan 1'7 engage the indentations of the slides 9 if it is desired that the shelf follow the drawer whenever the latter is opened. It will be apparent, of course, that in a freezer compartment of a height such that only a single pan corresponding to the lower pan 11 is used, the shelf 24 can be readily substituted for the pan 17 whereby the pads 27 would then ride on the slides 9. For ease of manipulation, rollers 34 having the same function as rollers 18 on the pan 17 are provided for supporting the rear end of the shelf on the guides 25.

The shelf 24 which is preferably of an open wire structure includes a wire framework for receiving and positioning a removable ice storage receptacle 29 adjacent the forward edge of the shelf. This framework generally indicated by the numeral 30 includes cross pieces 31 at the opposite ends thereof, each of which has a depression 32 for receiving handles 33 provided on each end of the receptacle 29. A cradle 36 pivotally supported by means of arms 37 on the frame 30 provides means for supporting one or more freezing trays 39 along one side of the receptacle 29. Each freezing tray includes an elongated or rectangular pan 40 divided into a plurality of ice pockets by means of a movable wall grid 41 which is preferably locked in the tray against detachment therefrom in such a manner that the grid and tray form a unitary structure. As shown in Fig. 4, the grid may include a plurality of transverse dividers 42 and a longitudinal divider comprising a lower section 43 and an upper or actuating section 44. The longitudinal grid sections 43 and 44 are connected together by means of a linkage generally indicated by the numeral 45 so that upon actuating a handle 46, the two longitudinal divider sections are caused to move relative to one another causing limited movement or tilting of the transverse dividers 42 and a release of ice blocks from the tray. As this type of tray structure is well known in the art, it is not believed necessary to describe further the detailed construction thereof. In fact, any freezing tray including means for causing relative movement between the divider structure and the tray or the various elements of the divider structure so that ice blocks formed therein can be harvested when the tray is in an inverted position can be employed in the practice of the present invention.

While any suitable means may be provided for either,

permanently or removably supporting the trays 39 to the cradle 36 in such a manner that ice blocks can be harvested into the receptacle, for the purpose of illustrating the present invention, the trays 39 are shown as being permanently secured to the framework 36 by spaced brazed areas 49.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that there has been provided in accordance with the present invention an ice freezing and storage arrangement in which the freezing trays 39 will normally be stored in the freezer compartment in a position above and out of the way of the other foodstuffs. In this position, the contents of the freezing trays as well as the receptacle 29 cannot become contaminated by particles dropping from the food stuffs or their wrappings and the entire combination occupies a space which would be the most difficult to use for normal storage of frozen foods.

With the trays 39 in their normal position as illustrated in Fig. 1 or as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and with the drawer and shelf extended or open, the trays can be filled with water from a pitcher or other suitable dispensing means. The drawer is then closed and the trays require no further attention until the water has been frozen into the ice blocks. At the users convenience, the drawer is then. opened and the shelf 24 is extended to a position in which the trays will clear the upper portion of the freezer compartment and can be pivoted from their normal position to their harvesting or inverted position above the receptacle 29. In this position a downward thrust of the handle 46 causes flexing of the divider structure thus releasing the individual ice blocks from the tray so that they fall into the receptacle 29. The trays are then returned to their normal position at the side of the receptacle and refilled with water.

While a specific embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it is not desired that the invention be limited to the particular construction shown and described and it is intended by the appended claim to cover all modifications within the true spirit and scope of the in/ention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A refrigerator cabinet including a freezer compartment, a shelf slidably supported within said compartment adjacent the top thereof and movable to an extended position outside said compartment, said shelf including a framework adjacent and along the front edge thereof for receiving and positioning a removable ice receptacle, a freezing tray, meansforming part of said shelf for pivotally supporting said tray rearwardly from said framework for movement, when said shelf is extended, between a normal position adjacent the rear side of said framework in which it is supported in a horizontal position and a second position in which said tray is disposed in an inverted position above said receptacle for discharge of ice pieces therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS i Q aw 

